Gazetteer Of The Punjab Provincial Volume 1888-89

· 1888 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1PUNJAB—PROVINCIAL VOLUME.

2CHAPTER I.

3THE PROVINCE.

4The Punjab with its Fendatory States covers an area of

5144,436, square miles, and includes a population of 22,712,120

6souls, or one-tenth of the whole area, and one-eleventh of the total

7population of the Indian Empire. It numbers among its inhabitants

8one-fourth of the Mussalman, one-twentieth of the Hindu, and

9eleven-twelfths of the Sikh subjects of the Queen. Togetfer with

10Kashmir, which lies to ita north, it ocoupies the extreme north-westein

11corner of the Exfipire, and comprises all of British India north of

12Sind and Rajpiténa and west of the River Jumua, Lying thus

13in the angle where the Himalayas, which shut in the peninsula to

14the north, meet the Sulemaéns which bound it on the west, and

15situated between Hinddst&n and the passes by which alone access

16from the great Asian Continent is possible, it is im a very special

17sefise the frontier province of India, and guards the gateway of

18that Empire of which it was the last portion to be won. The

19immigrant swarms which have from time to time poured into India,

20and the conquering armies which have from time to time invaded it,

21have alike crossed the plains of the five rivers from which the

22Province takes its name ; while its great eastern plains, which part the

23waters that flow on the one hand into the Indian Ocean and on_ the

24other into the Bay of Bengal, have ever formed the battlefield of

25Northern India. Nor is its present interest inferior to its historical

26importance. Stretching northwards up to and beyond the great

27peaks of the Oentral Himalayas, and embracing the Tibetan valleys

28of Lahul and Spiti, it includes in its eastern districts a portion of

29Hindistan, on its southern border it encroaches upon the great

30prairies of Rajpitana, while its trans-Iudus territory beléngs to

31Afghanistén and BilGchiatan rather than to India in every respect

32other than political. And the diversity which marks its physical

33ind geographical aspects is no less characteristic of the races which

34inhabit it, of their origiu, language, beliefs, customs and social

35structure. *

36The Province lies between 27° 39’ and 35° 2’ north latitude

37and 69° 35’ and 78° 35° east longitude. Its shape is something

38between a dice-box and an hour-glass, the axes crossing at Lahore,

39and the longer axis running nearly east by south. The length ot

40the longer axis is about 450, and of the shorter 160 miles; the

41enstern base measuges some 370, and the western some 540 miles.

42The eonstriction in ghe middle is due to the fact that the northern

43boundary runs up into the hills of Chamba and Kullu in the east

44and of Hazdin in the west, on either side of the kingdom of

45Kushmir; while to the south the Province stretches down the fertile

46banks of the Jumna to the east, and of the Indus to the weat,

47|

48Chapter I.

49The Province.

50Introductory.

51Position, Shape

52aud Size.